29er
We stock a wide range of 29er bicycle tyres for your mountain bike or commuter bike. Choose from our wide selection in our Richmond store & online
What is a 29er size tyre?
29er is ‘mountain bike speak’ for a very common wheel size in modern adult mountain bikes. 29er is the same size as the exceedingly common 700c. The difference being that most 29er tyres come in widths not seen in 700c tyres. 29er’s are for mountain bikes & so tyres in this category have many different tread patterns, often thick & knobby for riding trails & off-road.
29er size tyres & wheels aren’t just for mountain bikes though, they are often found on commuter bikes & ebikes. Because this tyre size is often wider & made of tougher material with a priority on grip these tyres can be found on hybrid urban bikes. Wide tyre & lots of tread is great if you have an ebike, as the torque from the motor & the additional weight of a battery & motor wear tyres down quite quickly.
Tyre options in 29er sizes
We stock a variety of 29er bicycle tyres because these are a very common & standard wheel size for many bikes. The tread patterns on these tyres however, is not as standard. You will notice in the long list of tyres we have in this size that the treads are either ‘commuter tread’ designed for a hybrid urban bike or are a very knobby Enduro or All Mountain tread. Enduro & All Mountain treads are for trail riding which means if you use them on the roads around town they will be slower then an urban tread pattern.
They may also be heavier but not as robust against punctures from glass or pieces of metal in the road. This is because they are designed to withstand impacts from rocks & roots rather than road detritus. 29er mountain bike tyres are also usually wider with the intention of being run at lower pressure in the tyre to make for better grip & handling on the trails.
Why run wide tyres on your bike?
This is one of the greatest benefits to nice wide 29er bike tyres, you can safely run these at lower pressures to make for a more comfortable ride. Road bike tyres that are skinny need to be pumped up to high pressure to make a hard surface to resist puncturing, mountain bike tyres work in the opposite way. Wide tyres run at low pressures have good rollover because they conform around the objects in their path, rather than going over them the way a high pressure tyre would.
Will wider tyres slow you down?
While there is increased friction from more surface area of tyre touching the ground with every wheel rotation, if the low pressure is optimal this should not slow you down. Much has been written about this online! We are big fans of wide tyres for a stable ride & for those times where your commute includes some gravel bike path or hopping the occasional curb. And if you ever rode a little 26″ 90s mountain bike then you might be a fan of wider tyres already too!
